{"id":7157,"date":"2026-08-18T21:06:35","date_gmt":"2026-08-18T21:06:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=7157"},"modified":"2026-08-18T21:06:35","modified_gmt":"2026-08-18T21:06:35","slug":"49ers-rookie-black-bursts-past-chargers-mccaffrey-stays-out-as-precaution","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=7157","title":{"rendered":"49ers’ rookie Black bursts past Chargers, McCaffrey stays out as precaution"},"content":{"rendered":"
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EL SEGUNDO, Calif. \u2013 Kaelon Black\u2019s unmistakable burst was back in the 49ers\u2019 offense Tuesday, from catching a Brock Purdy pass on the first snap to speeding down the left sideline on his first carry against the host Chargers in a joint practice.<\/p>\n

Read more An Oakland murder suspect professed innocence from day one. Now prosecutors say they can\u2019t prove guilt<\/a><\/p>\n

Not that the 49ers urgently need Black, a rookie running back.<\/p>\n

Three weeks remain until the 49ers\u2019 regular season begins in Australia, and Christian McCaffrey\u2019s availability is not a glaring concern, even though he\u2019s missed the past week with undisclosed tightness and everyone recalls his 2024 Achilles issues.<\/p>\n

Coach Kyle Shanahan said McCaffrey would have participated if this was a regular-season practice.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf it wasn\u2019t Christian, and we were in a game week, he would play today,\u201d Shanahan said. \u201cIt\u2019s just some tightness. He\u2019d get sensitive if I said where.\u201d<\/p>\n

Shanahan added that it would be wrong to accuse the 10th-year running back of holding out as part of a contract dispute.<\/p>\n

McCaffrey attended practice, then posed for pictures afterward with his pregnant wife, their year-old daughter, his parents, and his older brother, Max, the Chargers\u2019 running backs coach.<\/p>\n

As for Black, his rookie training camp paused the past 2 \u00bd weeks because of an adductor injury.<\/p>\n

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\u201cYou can tell there\u2019s a different level of intensity when he touches the ball,\u201d Purdy said. \u201cI\u2019m excited to see what he does in live action, too, with breaking tackles and hitting the gaps. From the jump, KB came out running pretty hard so it was exciting to see him back.\u201d<\/p>\n

Black is expected to debut in a 49ers\u2019 jersey (No. 26) in Thursday night\u2019s preseason game against the Chargers at SoFi Stadium.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s always tough going against another team on your first day back, but he looked healthy and had some juice today and hopefully he looks the same on tape,\u201d Shanahan said.<\/p>\n

STRIBLING SHINES<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Rookie wide receiver De\u2019Zhaun Stribling\u2019s outstanding camp was best on display in the red zone as he made contested catches for touchdowns on passes from Purdy and Mac Jones.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was smooth. I enjoyed it,\u201d said Stribling, who made two more receptions before one was broken up at the goal line by Rodney Shelley.<\/p>\n

\u201cThose (touchdowns) were two good plays. He had a couple of rough ones, too. So I\u2019ll hold my opinion until I really see the tape,\u201d Shanahan said. \u201cBut he\u2019s competing every day and getting better.\u201d<\/p>\n

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PUNCH-OUT WARNER<\/strong><\/p>\n

It shouldn\u2019t have been a surprise that Fred Warner punched a ball loose, seeing how he\u2019s forced a franchise-record 17 fumbles (plus one in 12 playoff games).<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s my emphasis every single play, honestly. Does every play have a punch-out (opportunity)? Not necessaritly but I\u2019m going to try to find it where I can,\u201d Warner said. \u201cOver the years I try to practice it so much it\u2019s not a thought in my mind and it\u2019s just second nature.<\/p>\n

Read more This award-studded Oakland chef is opening a tavern in the Rockridge District<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s beyond the point of me trying to get punchouts. It\u2019s how can I be infectious to the team and have it on their minds.\u201d<\/p>\n

EVANS\u2019 QUAD INJURY<\/strong><\/p>\n

Wide receiver Mike Evans watched the end of practice after aggravating a quadriceps issue which kept him out last week. \u201cSome tightness, so we were being smart taking him out. I don\u2019t think it\u2019s anything worse,\u201d Shanahan said. \u201cIt\u2019s nothing I\u2019m worried about right now.\u201d<\/p>\n

CONCUSSION ISSUES<\/strong><\/p>\n

Five 49ers have sustained concussions this camp: offensive linemen Dominick Puni, Brett Toth, and Carver Willis; and defensive linemen C.J. West and Titus Leo, the latter of whom got waived Tuesday. All others remain sidelined except Willis, who got first-team reps at left guard while Rob Jones filled in for Puni at right guard.<\/p>\n

Shanahan, whose concussion from a July 14 car crash hindered him at the start of camp, said players\u2019 Guardian-cap cushions can only do so much. \u201cMy favorite thing about those is quarterbacks don\u2019t break their hands as much on the top of (helmets),\u201d Shanahan said. \u201cRegardless of what you\u2019re wearing, if you get hit the right way, it\u2019s not enough. I know it does help.\u201d<\/p>\n

INJURY UPDATES<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u2014 Chargers center Tyler Biadasz got carted off with a leg injury after colliding with Sebastian Valdez on a first-series play.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Nick Bosa, seen Sunday running on the side, is progressing well. His surgically repaired right knee has\u201ca lot less irritation, soreness, tendinitis than last week,\u201d Shanahan said. \u201cIt\u2019s going in the right direction. Same as Christian.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2014 Defensive end Mykel Williams (ACL) is close to coming off the Physically Unable to Perform list. \u201cWeek 1 would be a long shot but we haven\u2019t ruled it out,\u201d Shanahan said.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Shanahan did not give a timeline on when tight end George Kittle (Achilles) might get cleared to practice off PUP. \u201cGeorge isn\u2019t a big \u2018put a date on it\u2019 and I\u2019m not going to be that dude either,\u201d Shanahan said. \u201cYou guys can tell how he\u2019s talking and how he looks, I agree that it\u2019s sooner than later.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2014 Wide receiver Christian Kirk hasn\u2019t practiced since a calf strain in camp\u2019s first practice. \u201cWe love the guy but hopefully he can have some better luck so he get some reps out here,\u201d Shanahan said.<\/p>\n

NO FIGHTS<\/strong><\/p>\n

No fights erupted in the 1 1\/2-hour of 49ers-vs.-Chargers action, and Shanahan traced that to a calm start, unlike last Tuesday\u2019s joint practice with the visiting Titans, who are coached by former 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh.<\/p>\n

What was it about Jim Harbaugh\u2019s Chargers? \u201cTheir head coach had more discipline than Tennessee\u2019s. No, I\u2019m just joking,\u201d Shanahan said in deadpan fashion.<\/p>\n

PURDY FAN CLUB<\/strong><\/p>\n

Harbaugh said before practice he hoped to meet Purdy, but that had yet to happen by the end of Tuesday\u2019s session. Harbaugh\u2019s admiration for Purdy traces to \u201chow good he is. His timing, his decision-making, his accuracy. I just like how cool he is, how cool he plays, and all that,\u201d Harbaugh said. \u201cKind of the same way I think of Kyle, the cool stuff he puts on tape. I love his demeanor. I love the toughness of his teams. I love that they\u2019re really good at football. Great to be around them.\u201d<\/p>\n

DEFENSIVE BACKS TORCHED<\/strong><\/p>\n

The 49ers\u2019 secondary repeatedly got victimized by the long ball, with Deommodore Lenoir and Ephesians Prysock each giving up at least two deep completions.<\/p>\n

Read more Bay Area culinary star shares the secrets of making authentic Thai food<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Unconcerned by Christian McCaffrey’s continued absence, 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan liked what he saw from rookie running back Kaelon Black’s return at Tuesday’s joint practice against the Chargers.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7156,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7157","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sports"],"yoast_head":"\n49ers’ rookie Black bursts past Chargers, McCaffrey stays out as precaution - Next City Digest<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=7157\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"49ers’ rookie Black bursts past Chargers, McCaffrey stays out as precaution - 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